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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. craft — boats
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com